Ukraine's military intelligence agency used naval platforms equipped with FPV drones to target Russian radar systems in occupied Crimea for the first time.
Key facts
- •The operation targeted a Podlet radar command vehicle and a Parol-4 identification friend-or-foe interrogator.
- •Russia's Defense Ministry claimed to have intercepted 131 drones over Crimea, the Black Sea, and Russian regions overnight on Aug. 3.
- •The Crimean Bridge was closed at approximately 1 a.m. local time following reports of explosions in Kerch.
- •Ukrainian forces struck a logistics warehouse and repair base near Nove Zhyttia used by a Russian artillery brigade.
- •Group 13 has previously destroyed three helicopters and two fighter jets using Magura naval drones.
Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) announced on Aug. 3 that its Group 13 special unit successfully targeted two Russian radar systems in occupied Crimea in late July. The operation utilized newly developed Magura naval platforms equipped with FPV drones, marking the first time these systems have been used to strike Russian ground targets. The mission destroyed a Podlet radar command vehicle and a Parol-4 identification friend-or-foe interrogator.
By the numbers
Expanded military operations in Crimea
Beyond the radar strikes, Ukraine's General Staff confirmed additional operations against Russian logistics sites across the occupied peninsula. Ukrainian forces targeted a repair base and warehouse near Nove Zhyttia used by a Russian artillery brigade, as well as logistics hubs near Okunivka and Naumivka and a communications center near Artemivka. Overnight on Aug. 3, local reports and satellite imagery indicated fires and explosions in Kerch, Feodosia, and near the Crimean Bridge, which was temporarily closed.
Capabilities of the Magura platform
The HUR stated that the integration of FPV drones onto the Magura platforms represents a new dimension in their combat capabilities. Previously, Group 13 had utilized the sea drones to destroy nine Russian vessels and damage five others. As of May 2025, the unit had successfully struck 17 Russian naval and aerial targets using the platforms, which were first publicly presented on May 14, 2025.
Timeline
- May 14, 2025Ukraine publicly presented its latest Magura sea drones.
- Late JulyGroup 13 carried out the operation against Russian radar systems in Crimea.
- Aug. 3Explosions and fires were reported across occupied Crimea overnight.
Advertisement
This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by Kyiv Independent.
